WSLCB - Board Caucus
(November 17, 2020) - In Brief

Policy and Rules staff prepared the Board for Wednesday’s formal rulemaking, but members had little to say.

• Policy and Rules staff provided updates on active rulemaking projects and prepared the Board to extend a pandemic-related emergency rule.
  • Quality Control (QC) Testing and Product Requirements (Rulemaking Project, audio - <1m). Policy and Rules Coordinator Casey Schaufler said the November 18th public hearing was on track and he expected a “high” level of interest during the hearing on the supplemental CR-102. The agency had “received over 40 comments” but Schaufler claimed they were “mostly a standard form letter signed by different licensees or interested parties.”
    • Board Member Russ Hauge later stated that he was looking forward to the hearing. He said, “I’ve been reading the comments” and “it looks to me like we have some more work to do” (audio - 1m).
  • HB 2826 Implementation (Rulemaking Project, audio - <1m). Schaufler confirmed the CR-102 remained “on track” to be presented for consideration by the Board “on or after December 9th.”
  • Location Compliance Certificates (Rulemaking Project, audio - 1m). Schaufler indicated a public hearing on proposed rules to implement SB 6206 would also be hosted on December 9th, regarding legislatively mandated certificates attesting that locations were compliant at the time of license application. He said staff had received “no comments” so far.
  • Tier 1 Expansion (Rulemaking Project, audio - 1m). Schaufler said “the second iteration” of a survey of tier 1 licensees was completed and WSLCB had accrued “116 respondents between both of those surveys.” He indicated he would “work with internal staff to provide an update on this in the near future.”
  • Policy and Rules Coordinator Audrey Vasek told board members to expect her request to again extend an emergency rule adopted on April 6th granting agency Enforcement staff authority to suspend licenses in violation of the Governor's proclamations. Once approved and filed, the emergency rule---which had no implications for cannabis licensees---would be extended through March 18, 2021 (audio - 1m).

• Board members provided no insight into their work.
  • Board Member Ollie Garrett had “been on a lotta calls” but hesitated and said, “for this call no updates” (audio - <1m).
    • The week prior---in Garrett’s absence---Hauge chastised the representations of WSLCB emerging from the agency’s BIPOC engagements and the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis. Garrett represented the Board on both initiatives.
  • Hauge conveyed that he’d forwarded “a resume I got from a law student...might be something we want to look at.” He also credited staff for keeping him “in the loop” (audio - 1m).
  • Board Chair Jane Rushford reiterated the agency was evaluating webinar software (audio - 2m).

Information Set